Diet: an important health choice!

One of the important health choices we can make is in our diet; the foods we eat ought to be carefully selected and blended so as to create the optimum conditions for health and wellness. When we eat a balanced diet, filled with fresh foods, then we pave the way for health and reduce the odds of ill-health. At the cellular level our bodies are able to send the correct messages for growth and repair. To maintain a body with a high immune system, we need to consume foods which are fresh and healthy, which are produced in such a manner that they provide a sufficiently high level of nutrients with a correspondingly low level of toxins such as fertilisers and other environmental toxins. Ideally a diet ought to cater for your personal taste, metabolism, individual needs and availability of ingredients.

As I mentioned in a previous post, what works for one individual may not work for another. Our nutrient requirements and our bodies’ ability to assimilate nutrients from different foods are highly personalised. So once again I emphasise the priority which must be placed on personal responsibility for health. However it is possible to have a generalised program for healthy eating which may be adjusted to suit individual needs. We all need to eat from the following main food groups – fresh fruits and vegetables; fish and meat product eggs or soy products for vegans; peas and beans; whole grain or high fiber cereals; ground provisions; and milk and milk products or substitutes.

The ratio of fresh fruit and vegetables ought to be higher than our carbohydrate intake: about six servings of the former per day is important. Our meat intake could be less than fruits and vegetables but still higher than carbohydrates. Carb intake could be approximately three servings per day or less; again it depends on your personal metabolism and digestion. In addition to what we do eat there are some things we ought to eliminate or minimise in our diets. These include caffeine in any form, refined sugars and flour and any products which contain artificial colourings, preservatives,hormones and antibiotics. Increasing our water intake as I mentioned in a previous post is another positive action to healthy eating so too is eating in a stress-free environment.

My weakness is dessert and by dessert I mean the decadent types, not the fresh fruit type. I love the cakes and pastries but I have learned to curb my yen for such sweetness. Refined sugar has been referred to as the fertiliser for cancer cells – they feed off of sugar growing at an exponential rate becoming rapidly difficult to control. This piece of information is enough to help me decrease the amount of sugar I include in my diet. What is your weakness? Do you make an effort to keep your diet healthy yet stimulating enough to sustain? You may leave a comment below as I would really appreciate hearing your point of view.